Here is another “Growing Old Gracefully” tale. I’m laughing now, but earlier this morning I was NOT laughing!

In my 74+ years, I have never had the experience of operating a home security system. Oh, I’ve seen the security pads on the wall of houses I’ve been in, but never had the experience of operating one. This week we have been house and pet sitting for the family we are staying with. The big house across the yard is equipped with a security system, so before our friends left Monday on vacation, we sat down with him and he gave me instructions on how to operate the system. Being one of due diligence, I carefully wrote all the instructions down. Monday through Thursday went off without a hitch. I relaxed a bit thinking ‘I’ve got this.’ Thursday evening the frames on my 5 year old glasses bit the dust and broke! This morning (Friday) I leisurely walked across the grounds here and used the garage door opener to allow access to the garage and the door which opens into the back hallway of the house remembering to click the garage door opener again to close the garage door behind me. I stepped into the back door of the house. Then it happened. Without my glasses, I incorrectly punched in the wrong code and wowzer, the siren began blaring and shear panic struck. Quickly I punched in the code again and it stopped….but only for 60 seconds. My instructions didn’t tell me how to shut the system off!! Then the deafening siren sounded again and the realization hit me…the cops are coming! I began shaking in my boots. I hit all the buttons on the key pad and finally the alarm went off, but it did not clear! I texted Rog and told him what happened and that the cops were coming! I went through the house to the backyard pool house to feed the dogs and get the cat food. While I was out there I heard Rog holler over the fence to come and open the garage door. With a cup of cat food in hand, I raced back through the house, down the back hallway and out into the garage. Click…the garage door began to rise and there stood Rog and a Deputy Sheriff. I was caught with cat food still in hand and looking like a complete fool!   I raised both hands and said, “Officer, I’m guilty. Arrest me. I won’t resist, I promise!”
He was quick to ask, “So you are feeding the animals?”
I nervously said, “Yes, Sir,” as I extended the cup full of cat food towards him and said, “Sorry, it’s not donuts!”
We all laughed as I asked him if he’d like to go inside and check the house. He reassuringly said, “No, ma ’me, that won’t be necessary. I believe you!”
Whew, I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and fed the cats as the officer got back in his patrol car and left.
Well, I thought to myself as I headed back across the yard, that was a heck of a way to start the morning! It took me a bit to calm down and forgive myself for trying to do all this without my glasses. What was I thinking? !!! Problem was I wasn’t thinking, but I can assure you I won’t try that again!
As Rog and I talked about it all, we had to laugh at me. That’s always a good sign when you are growing older and do dumb things…laugh at yourself. It’s a great way to relieve the pain of stupidity!
The moral of this ‘growing old story’….don’t try and operate the security system keypad without your glasses and be sure to understand how to disengage the system if the alarm goes off….otherwise the cops come and you feel REALLY stupid!